Snap-switch commutator.



No. 659,873. Patented Oct. l6, I900. c. s. PERKINS.

SNAP SWITCH communnofi;

(Application filed June 28, 1900.)

(No Model.)

fi XKM WJ. M'Z/MM its mas are Fries.

CHARLES C. PERKINS, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE PERKINSELECTRIC SWITCH MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

SNAP-SWITCH COM M UTATOR.

iiPEClIFlGl-LTION forming part of Letters Patent No. 659,873, datedOctober 16, 1900.

Application filed June 28, 1900.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES G. PERKINS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSnap-Switch Comm utators,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the construction of the commutator-block-thatis, the movable conducting-contacts and the insulatingdisk that carriesthe movable eontacts'of a rotary snap electrical switch.

The object of this invention is to produce a durable and efhcientcommutator-block for a switch of this nature which can be very easily,quickly, and cheaply made.

The embodiment of the invention that is illustrated in theaccompanyingdrawings has a disk of insulating material with a centralperforation adapted to receive the rotating means and conducting-piecesthat extend from one face over the edge to the other face and areloosely but securely held in position by ears bent into recesses formedin the faces of the insulating material.

Figure 1 of the views shows a plan of a commutator-block that embodiesthe invention. Fig. 2 is a plan of the insulating-disk without theeomlucting-pieces. Fig. 3 is an edge view of the commutator-block. Fig.4 shows a section through the block on the plane indicated by the brokenline of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a plan of one of the conducting pieces beforeit is bent, and Fig. 6 shows an edge view of one of theconducting-pieces as it is after being bent and fastened in place.

The insulating-disk 1 of this commutatorblock may be formed of anysuitable material having the requisite strength, such as hard rubber,rubber and asbestos, or similar compounds that may be easily molded toshape and that possess the necessary nonconducting characteristics. Inthe center of this disk is an oblong opening 2, which is to be occupiedby the means for rotating the disk. Depressions 3 are made in both facesof the disk, recesses 4 are made in the periphery opposite thedepressions, and sockets tact-plates.

Serial No. 21,962. (No model.)

5 are made in both faces of the disk, both sides of the inner ends ofboth depressions near the hub 6. Depressions 7 are preferably made inboth faces of the disk, so as to leave raised surfaces 8 each side ofthe depressions 3 and raised surfaces 9 midway between the depressions3.

,Each conducting-piece 10, formed of brass, bronze, copper-,or othersuitable metal, is preferably stamped to shape with a wide middlesection 11 of a length equal to the thickness of the disk and taperingend sections 12 of a size substantially equal to the area of thedepressions in the faces of the disk which the sections will occupy.Ears 13 project laterally on both sides from each end of theconducting-pieces.

The conducting-pieces are bent so that the tapering sections 12 areparallel with each other and at right angles with the sections 11 thenafter being slipped over the edge of the disk, so that they will occupythe depressions 3 in the faces and the recesses 4 in the periphery, theears 13 are bent down into the sockets 5. By this means theconductingpieces are very securely but loosely retained in place, sothat when in use they are free to adjust themselves between thestationary contact-plates, (indicated by the dotted lines 1 1,) that arefixed close to the switch base, and the spring arms or brushes(indicated by the dotted lines 15) that are fixed to the base of theswitch, so as to project above the con- While these movablecommutator-block conducting-pieces are free to adjust themselves betweenthe stationary contacts, they are very securely held in place. Thismethod of securing the conductingpieces is very simple and permits allof the parts to be cheaply made and easily as sembled.

I claim as my invention 1. A snap-switch commutator-block composed of aninsulating-disk having in both faces depressions with a socket adjacentto and each side of each depression, and a conducting-piece with an endlying in each depression, each conducting-piece having an ear projectingfrom each side into a socket, cupying the recesses, lying in thedepressnbstantia-lly as specified. sions and having ears projecting intothe 2. A snap-switch commutator-block comsockets, substantially asspecified.

posed of an insulating-disk having recesses CHARLES G. PERKINS.

5 in its periphery, depressions in its faces ad- Witnesses: I

jacent to'the recesses and sockets adjacent to H. R. WILLIAMS, 2, thedepressions, and conducting-pieces 00- C. E. BUCKLAND.

